We just returned from a cruise with a stop in Montego Bay, Jamaica. We decided that we didn't want to do the typical tourist things so we decided to hire a driver to show us some Jamaican culture. After reading the reviews of several tour companies, we decided on Uton Tours.
We were scheduled to meet Palmer at 9:15 at the port and he was already waiting on us when we arrived at 9. He took the 7 of us out to his air conditioned bus and we began our tour. He took us down the "long road" up into the mountains, telling and showing us many things about Jamaican culture. We stopped at a hut along side the road and met a Rasta man. The Rasta man came out of the jungle with various fruits, coffee beans, and ginger. He cut open a cocoa bean and let us sample the insides before he peeled it down to the actual beans. We picked a guava from the tree at the hut and were able to sample it. The Rasta man took his machete and cut open a fresh coconut for us to sample the coconut water. He then went back into the jungle and brought out a ripe coconut for us to sample the meat inside. What an experience for some city kids!
Once back in the bus, Palmer took us to see a banana tree and explained how bananas grow. He even pulled an escargot off the banana tree! On our way back into town, he stopped on the side of the road and picked a lemon, lime, and ripe guava for us to look at, smell and taste. He stopped at a roadside market and bought honey bananas for us to try. He even had local beer, sodas, and juice available for us on the bus.
He took us from one side of Montego Bay to the other, pointing out various things that he thought would interest us. We went to Rose Hall and were able to get out and take pictures at various locations. He showed us an old sugar mill and explained how the sugar was produced. He stopped at one of the resorts and showed us the only purple banana tree we had ever seen!
He took us to Doctors Cave Beach and dropped us off for lunch and a couple of hours of beach fun. He met us down the street from the beach and took us to a souvenir store that was owned by a longtime friend. We received a great discount on the items we purchased and the owner offered to let us call home for free. Palmer then took us downtown to see the local culture and visit a pharmacy. Anything we asked for, he made sure we were able to see or experience it. At one time, while stopped at a red light in the downtown area, he rolled down the window and called for one of the street vendors to bring him some of the fruit she was selling for us to try! He had us back to the port about 4.
Palmer was a great tour guide! He made our visit to Jamaica memorable for the adults and children. He takes great pride in his culture and was sure that we had a great experience while visiting his country. The next time we are in Jamaica, we will choose Palmer again!